Chapter 5: A Time to Fight!

Chapter 5: A Time to Fight!

Naruto stifled a yawn as he woke up after another exhausting night. His body ached in places that no amount of healing jutsu could fix, probably because they were not actually wounds but the result of a nights hard training. Cuts could be healed, bones mended, muscles restored, but the ache brought about by hard work and good old fashion exercise could only be healed with time.

It didn't help that Naruto pushed himself quite hard last night after watching that battle between the rest of Rias' peerage and Vizor. He was in good shape, but he wanted to be stronger, strong enough that he could be of help to Rias and his new friends. That meant working back up to where he had been before getting sent to this strange world, no matter how painful such a task was.

As his mind began the slow process of waking up he absently let his hands rub the curvaceous body of the beautiful red head in his arms. His thoughts soon turned to his training; what he was good at, what he was bad at, what he would need to improve on.

Surprisingly enough, he discovered that his chakra control was exceptional, which was a nice change from his previously horrendous control. It wasn't perfect, but he wasn't going to become a medical ninja or Genjutsu specialist so perfect chakra wasn't necessary.

Though he was hoping to replicate baa-chan's super strength, which he remembered Sakura saying needed very precise chakra control. It would be hard, especially since Naruto did not have a clue as to how good his control needed to be.

His Ninjutsu was terrible. While his control over his chakra had become a thousand times better than before, it was only due to the fact that the amount of chakra he could now use was so much smaller than what he used to that he had naturally better control. This meant that many of his more chakra intensive jutsu were out of his reach.

Considering almost all of his jutsu were chakra intensive and required the reserves of an above average jounin to even use, that left him with a very big problem.

Thankfully, all was not lost. Naruto still had some of his more basic jutsu, including the ones Jiraiya had taught him when they were training. He only had a few that were B-rank and below, but they should be enough for now. At least until he could begin making his own jutsu. It shouldn't be too hard for someone as awesome as him. If Sasuke had been able to make his own jutsu, then so could Naruto.

Next he would need...would... need...need...

….

….

Eh?

As his mind became fully awake and cognizant, the blond-haired, whisker-faced former Konoha ninja finally realized where he was, what he was doing, and that there was a very familiar person laying in his bed...again.

How many times does this make now? Six? Seven? He was beginning to lose count.

Groaning, Naruto thought about what he should do. He could slip out of the room, go take a shower, cook some breakfast, and get ready for school―not something that brought about pleasant thoughts for the young man― or he could just stay where he was and relax, which was infinitely more preferable. After all, what hot-blooded male wouldn't want to lay in bed with a drop-dead-gorgeous and completely naked female in their arms.

It seems Issei isn't the only pervert around here.

However, as nice as laying in bed with this beautiful, naked girl in his arms sounded, there were things he wanted to know: like finding out just why she was in his bed again.

"Rias," Naruto said. The girl didn't stir. Frowning, he shook her a bit and spoke more loudly. "Rias. Rias. Wake up."

"Mmm..." Rias moaned slightly as she drifted back into the world of conscious thought. Sitting up, once again heedless of her nudity, Rias yawned widely as she raised a single hand to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

It was almost as cute as Koneko, only instead of being adorable, her actions were incredibly sensual. It was like her very being just exuded a sort of cute and innocent sexiness that was such a natural part of her she didn't even know it existed. Rias was definitely what Jiraiya would call the "girl next door" type.

"Good morning, Rias," Naruto said softly. Rias looked down at him as she rubbed her eyes and offered a sleepy smile.

"Good morning, Naruto," she greeted, making Naruto smile in return. It left a second later as he remembered he was supposed to be a bit disgruntled.

Or was he? Waking up with a beautiful woman was certainly not something he should be complaining about, after all. Still, it was a bit annoying to wake up with someone else when you know they had not been there the night before.

"Care to tell me why you're in my bed...again?" asked Naruto with a single raised eyebrow. Rias blinked several times as she registered his words before smiling.

"I had trouble sleeping on my own," Rias admitted, causing Naruto to look at her oddly. "Normally it's fine so long as I have something to snuggle with, like one of my stuffed...toys, but for some reason I just couldn't get a good nights sleep. I suppose you could say I was feeling restless."

Naruto struggled as he tried to work through what she was saying. It wasn't that he didn't understand her words so much as he just could not picture Rias having any stuffed toys. She didn't seem the type.

…

Okay, so maybe that wasn't entirely true. She was very grabby in her sleep, as he could attest to. He could easily picture her holding onto some large, overstuffed, human-sized animal or something as she slept.

On a side note, it was a very cute image.

Naruto dispelled those thoughts with a shake of his head as Rias began to speak some more. "Then I remembered how easy it was to fall asleep next to you. You were so warm and cozy, like being next to a fire without the possibility of getting burned. I just couldn't help myself."

Naruto sighed as he rubbed his eyes with a tired expression. What to do, what to do, what to do. It wasn't that it necessarily bothered him that she slept with him. He would admit that it felt nice to wake up next to a warm body. It hadn't happened enough back in the Elemental Nations.

At the same time, as much as he liked Rias, he still didn't know her that well, and he wasn't the kind of guy to allow intimacy to develop without knowing he and the girl in question really did love each other.

That one time at the brothel during his training trip did not count. It would never count.

Curse that Jiraiya!

"Does it bother you that much?"

Naruto made the mistake of looking at Rias when she asked him that question. The blond had often felt that Koneko was the very definition of moe, and that was true, but Rias had something special that Koneko did not.

The first thing he noticed was the way her hair fell down around her face. It gave the gorgeous red head a strange aura, a combination of innocence and mystery that entranced all who laid eyes on her. Her bangs fell about her face, hovering around and over her eyes.

Which were the next two objects on the list of things he noticed. He had been enchanted by those eyes the first day they met, loving their unique color. Right now those eyes had narrowed into a look that was somehow both remorseful and seductive.

It may have had something to do with the sad frown on those beautiful, pink lips, which was the third thing he noticed.

Or maybe it just had something to do with her breasts. She was still naked, after all.

"No, no," Naruto waved his hands in front of his face, as if attempting to ward off the look she was giving him. He may have some experience when it came to naked women thanks to Jiraiya, but he had next to none when it came to situations like this. Zero tolerance meant his will and fortitude quickly eroded. "It's not a bother at all! I like it very much in fact!"

"Really?" Before he knew it, Rias was leaning in, her eyes growing large and sparkling with joy. It was almost as bad as the other look.

"Yes, really!" Naruto leaned backwards, hoping against hope that maybe space would lessen the effects of her technique. It didn't, but that was mostly because he was lying down and couldn't actually lean back. "I mean, it felt really nice... You know, holding you in my arms and all... I..." He flushed suddenly. It was one thing to sleep with a naked girl. It was quite another to explain your feelings about something like this through words. "It feels... really nice..."

Rias smile widened. It wasn't quite the cat that ate the canary look, but it did make Naruto feel like he was missing something.

~KatCHRP~

Rias Gremory was still smiling when she entered the Student Council room. She was feeling inordinately pleased with herself, and why shouldn't she? She had finally discovered a way to make Uzumaki Naruto flustered.

She had been a little disconcerted by how unaffected he was by her nudity. Despite not having many (or any) of the modesty taboos that humans do, she was well aware of the effects her body had on the male (and some of the female) population. That this boy seemed completely unaffected by it bothered her.

That wasn't to say he didn't like what he saw. She had clearly seen the appreciation he had for her body during those times she woke up in his bed (and since she always woke up in his bed these days, well...you get the picture). Several times she caught his eyes wandering over the swells of her breasts or tracing the curves of her hips with lingering glances.

But his gaze was not like those of Issei's or other men. It was...different. There was no other way to describe it. When he looked at her, it felt different than when other men looked at her. There was no real lust in his gaze, no desire to do something more to her then simply looking...or it was just so well hidden that she couldn't see it. Either way it felt like nothing more than simple admiration of her beauty.

It was both flattering and at the same time disappointing. That was why she was so elated to have finally found something that affected him.

While Naruto was unaffected by her nudity (at least as unaffected as a teenage male with raging hormones can be), he could not remain unaffected by the feelings of a woman. It seemed his entire personality, or a very good chunk of it, was built towards ensuring the happiness of others. He simply didn't like to see other people sad.

She didn't really know if it was because she was a girl or not, though she felt it certainly helped her chances. Regardless of how unaffected he was by her nudity, Naruto was still male. All men were predisposed towards acting out in some way when dealing with a member of the opposite sex, whether that was acting like a chauvinistic pig or a chivalrous knight was dependent upon the persons personality.

Naruto was definitely the latter of the two.

"Gremory-san," a voice greeted her as she entered the room.

Rias did not even bother looking around the clubroom as she waltzed up to the desk where a girl around her age with black hair styled in a short bob cut and violet eyes sat. She sat herself down on the empty chair in front of the desk and greeted her rival with a smile.

"Sona-san."

Sona Sitri, a third year like her and the School President of the Student Council, looked at her over red rimmed glasses.

"It is very rare for you to visit me like this," Sona said as she used a minor application of magic to get rid of the paperwork that was stacked neatly on her desk. A snap of her fingers and a Chess Board appeared within a magic circle that had Sona's family crest, the white side facing her and the black side facing Rias. She looked over at the other members of the "student council" and spoke again, "Please leave us."

One of the members, the only male student among them, looked like he was about to protest, but a sharp glance from Sona had him leaving as well, albeit grudgingly.

Turning her attention back to Rias and the Chess Board, Sona made her first move. "Whatever you want to talk to me about must be very important if you had to come see me so early in the day."

Rias studied the move Sona made as she carefully decided her own. "I don't know if it's really important, or at least not vitally important. I am simply here to satisfy my own curiosity," she said, finally making her own move by taking a knight and moving it in a position where it could take Sona's rook if she wanted to.

"I see," Sona narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. After several seconds, she moved her bishop. "You are here about Uzumaki Naruto, correct?"

"You know me too well," Rias sighed. Sona had always been good at reading her like a book. It didn't help that she tended to wear her heart on her sleeve unless required not to. "Yes, I am curious about one of the newest members of my peerage."

"I am surprised you don't know much about him already," Sona frowned. "You members of the Gremory Clan are well known for being affectionate towards your servants."

"I know plenty about him," Rias argued as she watched Sona make her move, grimacing as one of her Rooks was taken. In return, she took Sona's knight. "Naruto-kun is very forthcoming when it comes to himself. I've... I've even asked him about some things I probably shouldn't have, yet he didn't get angry at all and still answered my questions honestly."

"Hmm?" Sona studied her friend's expression. Rias wondered if the guilt she still felt at bringing up such terrible memories for her newest servant was visible on her face. Probably. "Sounds like someone has had a troubled past."

"I really can't say," Rias' shoulders slumped. "Naruto's story is his to tell, and I don't want to break the incredible amount of trust he's shown me by saying anything."

"A smart move," Sona admitted as she moved another one of her pieces. Rias frowned when she saw that her friend and rival was trying to trap her king. "If he is so forthcoming about himself, then why do you need to ask me about him?"

"Because I've come to the belief that the answer to the question I want doesn't lie with Naruto-kun himself," was the immediate answer as Rias decided to use her Queen to destroy the piece that had been about to put her King in check. "I suspect he would not even know the answer to the question I want to ask."

"And that question is?"

"Naruto is on my brother's scholarship program." Rias frowned as Sona moved her Queen and placed her in check. She placed a hand upon her King, but quickly discarded the idea to use it and instead moved her Rook to shield it from the Queen. Now, if Sona tried to take her Rook, she would take her rival's Queen. "I want to know why?"

"And what makes you think I know the answer?"

"You have information on everybody who comes to this school," Rias said without hesitation. "Surely, you would know something about Naruto."

"Not as much as you might think," Sona sighed as she found her Queen taken. She had extended it a bit too far into Rias' territory. An oversight on her part. "Though I do have a bit of information that you may find interesting. When Naruto was admitted to Kouh Academy, the person who filed his papers was none other than Grayfia-sama."

"My brother's wife!?" Rias nearly choked on air as she heard this. "That's ― but why? That makes no sense! What makes him so special?"

"That, I do not know," Sona said as she studied the board before smiling. "I only know what I just told you." She moved her bishop into position and leaned back in her seat. "Checkmate."

It would have normally galled her to lose to her rival, friend or not, but Rias was no longer paying attention to the Chess match between them. Her mind was occupied by something far more important than Chess.

A little over one month ago, Naruto had joined Kouh Academy under her brother's scholarship program. At that same time, her brother had given her the most unique mutated piece she had ever seen, and only required that she trade it for a single pawn (she got a mutated pawn out of the deal as well, which was how she was able to resurrect Issei so easily). Now she just found out that the person who had filed Naruto's paperwork to be admitted was none other then her brother's wife.

Just who was Uzumaki Naruto?

~KatCHRP~

"Naruto! Naruto! Koneko! You need to wake up!"

A hand on his shoulder began shaking Naruto awake. Opening his eyes, the blond wearily glanced around to ascertain his current location. He was in the clubroom, lying on the couch where he had elected to get some shut eye before heading out to do some training. A glance at the person the hand belonged to showed a worried looking Kiba.

"K-Kiba..." Naruto yawned as he stretched himself out on the sofa. Laying on top of him, curled up like a cat, the lithe Koneko began stirring. "What's up? Something wrong?"

"Issei's in trouble!" Kiba explained in a rush. "Himejima-senpai is already preparing a magic circle to transport us to his location. The only ones not ready are you two."

That was all Naruto needed to know. Getting up on the couch, Naruto helped Koneko to her feet and quickly brushed her down as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. A glance towards the other end of the room showed a silhouetted figure standing by the window. Even with her features obscured by the setting sun, he could see her concern and frustration.

"We're ready," Naruto told Kiba. "Let's go."

Stepping into the magic circle with Koneko and the others, Naruto was transported to the place where Issei was apparently in danger.

He was really beginning to wonder about that boy.

The first thing that hit their senses was the copper heavy stench of blood. It was a rank, cloying scent that burned the nostrils with it's poignant odor. The smell was thick enough that anyone not accustomed to it would have gagged.

Naruto ignored the corpse that had been nailed to the wall, and pulled out a cloth and a bottle of perfume, liberally spraying the scented liquid on the cloth before handing it to Koneko. Much like during the Rogue Devil hunt, she was the one who seemed to be the most affected by the horrid stench caused by the bucket loads of blood that had been splashed across the walls like a mad painter throwing paint onto a canvas.

Koneko sent him a thankful look as she took the cloth and held it to her nose. Naruto absently pat her on the head as he took in the scene before him. Issei was standing, barely, his legs wobbling and looking like they were about to collapse at any moment. It was not hard to notice why, the tiny bullet hole that was leaking blood from his right thigh didn't look very pleasant, even if it was a small wound.

"Hyoudo-kun, we're here to help."

"Ara, ara, you look injured."

"Priest..."

"Ah!" Issei looked at the group in shock. "Everyone's here!"

Akeno smiled a lovely, terror inspiring smile as she placed her hand on her cheek. "Just leave everything to us." Her eyes strayed to the person who had likely been the cause of Issei's injuries. "Now, I wonder how I shall cook this one, ufufufu."

Issei shivered and sweat dropped at the same time.

"Greetings, shitty ass Devils!" Yelled out a young man with short white hair, red eyes and a disturbing slasher smile. Judging from the clerical clothing he was wearing, it was easy to deduce that he was likely a member of the Church.

The psychotic looking teen who looked like he could give Joker a run for his money in the insanity department rushed towards them with a strange beam of light in his hand.

Kiba darted forward, meeting with the white haired male in a clash of blades. They met in the center, their swords clashing, making a strange zapping noise as light blade met steel.

A power struggle began between the two, each trying to push the other off. It soon became clear that the pair was evenly matched in the physical strength department. Neither seemed capable of overpowering the other.

The two jumped away when it was clear neither would neither would be winning this contest. Kiba had the advantage of strength with his reverse handling of his sword, but the white haired boy could put more force into his push.

"You know, it's very rude to attack someone without even introducing yourself. You won't earn any points with the ladies that way."

"Ah?" The white-haired boy looked like a retarded dog as he let his tongue hang out and his posture slump. "Do I have to introduce myself again? I'd rather not give another introduction to more shitty Devils who are just going to die soon. Why don't you ask the shitty Devil whose nearly dead on his feet! If you survive long enough to, that is!"

As the two began trading blows again, Akeno blinked as she noticed someone was missing. "Ara? Where is Kitsune-kun."

"Over there," Koneko pointed over to where Naruto was. Akeno felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of her face as she saw the blond teen crouching in front of a petrified looking little nun.

"Hiya!" Naruto greeted with a wide grin, seemingly not at all bothered by the sounds of combat going on between Kiba and the strange white-haired dude. "My name's Uzumaki Naruto. What's yours?"

"A-Ah!" The nun, a cute looking girl around their age with blond hair and green eyes, shrunk into herself a bit. "My name's...it's Asia. Asia Argento."

"Asia, huh?" Naruto blinked, then tilted his head. "Kind of a weird name, but whatever." He held a hand out to the timid girl, who squeaked at the action. "It's nice to meet you, Asia-chan!"

"U-Um," years of instinctual politeness kicked in and Asia found herself giving her fellow blond a handshake. "Nice to meet you too..."

"Oi! Oi!" The white haired priest disengaged from Kiba and glared at Naruto when he saw the blond chatting up the nun. "The hell do you think you're doing, shitty Devil! Huh!? You can't just go ignoring me like that!"

The priest ran towards Naruto, prepared to run him through with his blade. Asia, who was in front of the blond male, saw what was happening and opened her mouth to scream out a warning.

Before anything else could happen, a large burst of dark energy forced the priest to jump back, lest he be destroyed. The energy ended up hitting the wall on the other side of the room, then going straight through the wall like it wasn't even there before blasting into several more walls after that.

"I dislike it when people hurt my cute, little servants," Rias said as she finally decided to get herself involved in the battle now that she had a clear shot of her enemy. All eyes followed her as she moved to stand by Issei, her hand still outstretched towards the priest and her eyes narrowed in anger. "Especially someone with such a vulgar mouth. Then again, I wouldn't expect anything less from a stray exorcist."

The only set of eyes not really following Rias or the happenings in the room at the moment were Naruto's, who finally realized that Asia was exposing herself.

He took one look at her breasts, which were free from their confines, both her bra and nun outfit having been ripped sometime before their arrival and hummed thoughtfully.

"Hmm, we need to do something about that," he murmured, taking off his school jacket, wrapping it around the girls shoulder and closing the front. Asia just looked at him surprise. "Well, it's not a perfect solution, but it'll do for now."

"Uh... thank you," Asia said automatically. Naruto gave her his foxy grin.

"Aw, don't mention it. Anything for such a cute, little imouto-chan." Asia flushed at the new title she had just been given by this strange but nice boy she had just met a few seconds ago.

"Yeah, yeah! I've got a potty mouth," the priest was ignoring Naruto and Asia now that Rias was actually willing to fight him. She was the bigger threat anyways, it seemed. "I'm so sorry about that! The Church didn't like that I was so vulgar, or that I kept killing humans. So I was kicked out. But you know what I say!? Fuck the Vatican! So long as I get to continue killing you shitty Devils, nothing else matters!"

"Your kind are the most difficult type of exorcist to deal with. The kind of exorcist that takes pleasure in killing us."

"Fuck you! I don't need to be told off by a Devil! I'm just trying to live my life like everyone else! I'm not in a position where pests like you can talk down to me!"

"Even Devils have rules."

"Ha! Why the hell should an exorcist care about the rules of someone beneath them?"

"Then why don't you just disappear," Rias exclaimed coldly before she fired another blast of dark energy at the priest. He jumped away just in time to avoid being vaporized. The energy sailed past him before blowing another hole into the wall, causing him to whistle at the destruction caused.

"Nice. I like those passionate eyes. Onee-san, you are the best. I can feel your urge of wanting to kill me. Is this love? No. I think it's a killing intent! Superb! This is great! I love the feeling of intending to kill and getting intended to kill!"

Despite the amount of bravado he had, it was probably clear to the priest that he was outnumbered and outgunned. Even someone as insane as him had to recognize how bad his situation was. Even without Rias' energy blasts trying to tear him apart, facing off against four devils of unknown strength was not a good idea.

"Buchou," Akeno warned, her voice screaming over the explosions caused by the energy blasts Rias was unleashing. "We're going to need to finish this quickly. I can sense several fallen angels coming to this location."

"I see. Then it looks like I need to hurry this up." Taking aim once more, Rias began to rapidly throw ball after ball of black, demonic energy at the priest. With the amount of explosions that began taking place and the number of holes appearing in the wall, it was a wonder the house was still standing.

It got to the point where even the exorcist realized his situation was hopeless. Suddenly, the idea of sticking around to fight didn't seem so appealing anymore.

He quickly reached into his cloak and retrieved a vial of clear liquid, which he threw at Rias. The vial would have hit, but before it could, a blond figure stood in the way, his left hand swiping at the vial to knock it aside.

Rias' eyes widened. "No, wait! Naruto! Don't!"

She was too late; the moment her blond servant's hand hit the vial it shattered from the force. Whatever was inside flew out, splattering all over his face and upper body. Naruto hissed, a pained grimace set on his face as the liquid began to hiss and steam, eating away at the exposed parts of his skin.

"N-Naruto!" Rias shouted, startled and concerned as her servant took a blow meant for her. And one that contained one of the greatest weaknesses of Devil kind, especially those of a lower class.

"I-I'm fine," Naruto murmured, wincing as he felt the strange liquid burning the left side of his face. It felt like his skin was being eaten away by acid.

Rias snarled as she saw the damage the water was doing to Naruto's body. She turned to the exorcist once more to give him a lesson in pain that he wouldn't soon forget, only to find the priest and that little nun that had been with him were gone.

"Dammit!" Finally, Rias swore as she let her anger get the best of her. "Come on you guys, we're leaving! We've already retrieved Issei, which was our primary objective anyways."

"Why did you do that!?"

Rias was nearly in tears as she healed up the ugly looking burns on Naruto's face and body. Of course, a good deal of those tears were as much from anger and frustration as they were sadness at seeing one of her beloved servants so injured.

The red-haired beauty grit her teeth so hard her gums almost bled as she looked at the wounds on Naruto's flesh. They were truly hideous to see. The entire left side of the blond teen's face had been burnt to the point that she could see his cheekbones and part of his jaw. In other places the skin was cracked and red and deformed, turning what had once been an handsome face into something that looked like it come straight from a B-budget horror flick.

And it wasn't just his face that had suffered. The rest of his body had several patches where the skin was blistered and cracked. She saw one that looked particularly horrendous on the right side of his torso just below his armpit. It looked like it had gotten an extra dose of that holy water. All the skin in that area was gone and she could clearly see the bone and muscle.

She could heal it, of course, and there wouldn't even be a scar, especially not when combined with the strange healing that Naruto's body seemed to be doing automatically. But just seeing her servant like this was enough to bring Rias to tears. It was even worse because Naruto had taken that damage for her.

"Why did I do what?" asked Naruto, sounding surprisingly calm as Rias healed his wounds. He didn't seem all that bothered by the injuries he had sustained, nor by her chosen method of healing. Since her form of healing required as much skin contact as possible, they were both completely nude, lying together in a bed. Rias was on top of him, her body pressing against his from above, her breasts pushing into his chest as their legs entwined and their hips connected. It was as close to sex as one could get without actually having sex.

She was healing him in a private bedroom located within the Occult Clubroom. Naruto wondered why they had a private bedroom in the Occult Clubroom, but wasn't able to dwell on it long for several reasons, not the least of which was the body of his drop-dead-gorgeous King on top of him.

"Don't give me that!" Rias looked up from where she had laid her head on his chest to scowl at him, small drops of glistening liquid still leaking out of her tear ducts. "You shouldn't have taken that holy water for me! For someone like myself, holy water would hurt but it wouldn't be fatal. For a new Devil like you it's incredibly dangerous! You could have been killed!"

"You can't expect me to just stand there and do nothing when someone attacks you," Naruto defended himself. "There was no way in hell I was going to let anything happen to you, and I wasn't going to risk the small chance that it was something that wouldn't kill you."

"But you could have died!"

"Better me than you."

"You... you..." Rias clenched her teeth so hard that it actually hurt. After several seconds of glaring at the blond beneath her through frustrated tears, her body collapsed on top of him. All feeling left her as exhaustion set in, and not just from their arguing.

She rested her head against his chest, her ears pressed to his skin as she listened to the reassuring heartbeat that let her know Naruto was still alive.

"You are so incredibly stubborn," she whispered in a pained voice as she placed her hands on another one of his wounds. The most dangerous ones had healed now, leaving healthy, pink skin.

Naruto chuckled a bit. "So I've been told."

"This isn't a laughing matter!"

Naruto winced as Rias smacked his chest.

"...Sorry."

For the longest time, neither one of them spoke. Rias had to focus almost all of her attention on healing the rest of Naruto's wounds, and the blond knew better than to speak out of turn. It required even more effort for Rias to heal his wounds than usual because she spent so much energy flinging balls of destruction at that priest.

Perhaps it had not been her best idea to not dispose of the priest immediately, but she had been angry at him for hurting one of her servants, and scaring the crap out of exorcists was very therapeutic.

"I am sorry that I upset you," Naruto said after a while, speaking in a very soft voice. Rias did not raise her head, she was too tired for that, but she did squeeze his hand to let him know she was listening. "But you have to understand, I can't let you get hurt. I can't. Seeing my friends get hurt and not doing anything to stop it when I know I can causes more pain for me than anything else in this world. I could never forgive myself if I let you get hurt when I had the power to protect you."

His mind went back to Neji, one of many friends he failed to save. He would not let that happen again. Never again.

"How do you think I feel?" asked Rias, lifting herself up with some effort so she could look at him. "Don't you realize that I feel the same way? Naruto, you're not just one of my servants. You, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko and Issei, you're my friends. I would never be able to live with myself if you got hurt on my account."

"Than I guess we're stuck. I understand how you feel, but I won't―can't stand by and watch while you get hurt so long as I can stop it. I'm just not capable of that."

Rias felt like groaning, but she was far too tired to commit such a desire into action. "You're going to be stubborn about this, aren't you?" She closed her eyes, thereby missing Naruto's nod.

"Even if you were to order me not to, I would disobey you in a heartbeat if it meant keeping you or the others from harm."

Strangely enough, even though Rias heard his words, a good part of her focused on his use of "you and the others." For some reason she felt a bit sad that he had included everyone else. She didn't know why that was. She should be happy that her peerage had become so important to him, but she could not deny that some part of her, one that she refused to acknowledge even to herself, wished that statement had been made solely for her.

At least a part of her wished that. The other part wished he wouldn't say things like that at all. The idea of him getting hurt protecting her bothered her more than she cared to admit.

Too tired to do anything more, Rias wrapped her arms around Naruto's muscular body and pulled herself as close to him as possible. Her breasts mashed up against his chest, and she could feel his powerful abs and pectorals ripple underneath her. She ignored the pleasant tingle this caused, too burnt out to think on what it might mean, and simply let exhaustion begin to get the best of her.

"Just promise me you won't get hurt like that anymore?" she whispered to him pleadingly. Her eyes drooped closed as she spoke. She could feel her mind slipping as the sandman came to claim her.

"I can't promise that," Naruto replied, his tone just as soft. "But I will promise to be more careful from now on. How does that sound?"

Rias didn't respond. She was already asleep.

~KatCHRP~

The next morning Naruto woke up to find himself still sleeping on the bed in the backroom of the Occult Research Clubroom. Sunlight was streaming in through the parted curtains of the rooms sole window, illuminating the dark red ceiling above. He could only thank the Ramen Gods that the window was nowhere near the bed. He hated waking up to the sun in his face.

Hmm, maybe he should think about living here instead of his apartment?

Rias was also there, still sleeping peacefully on top of him, her arms wrapped loosely around his side.

Acting with both care and gentleness, Naruto rolled Rias off of him and onto her back. Her arms and legs flopped a bit, as did her breasts, but otherwise she did not move.

She must have really exhausted herself last night. Generally, the few attempts Naruto made at extricating himself from her iron grip when she slept ended with her simply holding him that much tighter. For her to not even seem to recognize she was losing her heat source meant she was well and truly exhausted. Just how much energy did she expend last night?

Rolling over so that he was lying on his side Naruto looked at Rias. Her hair was splayed out over the pillow and bed in a wild, untamed mess. Her eyes were closed, though Naruto could see them occasionally moving behind her eyelids, and her mouth was parted slightly as she rhythmically breathed in and out.

Taking note of her breathing unfortunately brought attention to her chest. Her two large breasts stood out proudly on her chest like mountains with pink, snow capped peaks. For just a second, Naruto found himself mesmerized by the way her breasts jiggled with each inhale and exhale of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

He shook his head. He was not a pervert. At least not completely. Nowhere near Issei's or Jiraiya's level of perversion at least. He was just a healthy teenage male with a good deal of hormones and a large libido, same as any other male in his age.

Keep telling yourself that, Naruto.

The bed creaked just a bit as he moved his legs over the side and stood up. Rias still did not wake up, so Naruto decided to tuck her in. Placing his left arm under her knees he lifted her legs into the air, pulled the covers she was laying on top of back, then up. He set her legs back down and straightened them out, then pulled the covers over her. He let the sheets rest just above the swell of her breasts and below her collar bone, ran his hand soothingly through her hair, then straightened back up.

After putting on a pair of pants, Naruto left the room and walked into the main clubroom.

It was not much of a surprise when he saw everyone was still there. Issei had been pretty injured as well, it was only logical he would stay there while Akeno healed him. The rest were all very close to Rias, and had probably decided to stick around because she was.

They were all asleep at the moment, Issei was laying on the couch where Akeno had been healing his wounds. Akeno had fallen asleep with half her body on top of him. It didn't look very comfortable, but Naruto could only imagine how amusing it would be to see Issei wake up like that. Kiba had taken to using the floor as his bed and was laying on his back with his hands behind his head. Koneko had curled up into a tiny ball on the chair.

It was Koneko that Naruto walked up to. Kneeling down, he placed a hand on her shoulder and began to shake her awake.

"Koneko-chan. Koneko-chan."

Watching the first year wake up brought with it an entirely new level of moe that Naruto did not know existed. Unfurling herself like some kind of cat, the white-haired cutie stretched out her arms and legs, twisting her lithe body this way and that as she yawned widely. It was so incredibly adorable that the blond-haired, blue-eyed young man nearly squealed like some kind of fangirl.

He was not a fangirl though. Or a fanboy for that matter. Nope. Definitely not. So he did not squeal.

He did let out a small squeak though.

After stretching herself out, Koneko then sat up, her legs tucked under her rear as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Then she saw Naruto.

Her eyes widened.

Naruto didn't even have enough time to say good morning before the girl was leaning into him, her arms engulfing his torso as she buried her face in his chest.

"Koneko-chan?"

"I'm glad you're okay..."

Realizing that the girl had probably been as worried about his safety as Rias was made Naruto feel like an insensitive prick. Now he had not only worried the girl who was quite possibly the most important person in the world to him, but he had also worried his cute little Kohai who had easily taken the number two spot for the most precious people position. What kind of jerk worried his friends so much?

Apparently he did.

Not being able to really do anything else, Naruto returned the hug, burying his face in her hair as he ran a hand down the back of her head.

He found it kind of strange that he was being so affectionate. Back in the Elemental Nations he had almost never shown this much affection for others with a few exceptions.

It had only been after the first three days of being with this group that he realized he was acting this way because he had always wanted to act like this around Sakura, but had never been able to. Namely because that girl would have punched him through a wall with her insane strength if he actually hugged her.

This desire for physical contact that he'd had since he was a child had only grown with time, but had rarely ever been realized back in the Elemental Nations. He could count the number of times he'd had physical intimacy on both hands and have fingers left over. Compared to most people who received hugs and kisses from moms and dads and friends and girlfriends for most of their life, that wasn't much physical affection.

And on that note, he still refused to count that one time during his training trip with Jiraiya.

Naruto wondered if he was acting out on his desires because of Rias. The girl was certainly one of the most...cuddly people he had ever met. She had no trouble sneaking into his room in the middle of the night, stripping naked and snuggling with him like he was some kind of oversized teddy bear.

In this instance, Naruto was actually thankful to Jiraiya. If there was one thing the perv had done right, it was help him become immune, sort of, to female nudity.

Then again, maybe he was just different now. It had been a long time since he thought about Sakura in that way. He had stopped lusting after her long before coming to this world. Perhaps he was just a more mature person now?

…

…

Yeah, right.

Of course, he could just be over thinking this, which was strange because he didn't like to think much, if at all. Thinking hurt his brain, and he had too little of that to waste it on thinking about pointless things like this.

"Ne, Koneko-chan? Wanna come with me and grab some food for the others?"

Koneko did not release her hold on him, but she did loosen it so she could look up. A second passed. Then two. Finally, she nodded.

"Okay."

"Great!" Naruto stood up, taking the first year with him. "Then let's get going!"

They began making their way out of the room, arm in arm. As they walked, Koneko looked up at Naruto.

"I want Daifuku."

A small bead of sweat ran down the side of Naruto's forehead. "You really like sweets, don't you?" After a second he beamed at Koneko. "Well alright then! Our first stop will be the sweet shop!" He paused. "Holy shit! I just wrapped like Killer Bee!" A mild wide grin split his face. "I'm awesome!"

Koneko blinked. Once. "Killer who?"

"...Never mind."

Koneko's cheeks were just a teensy bit red as she walked along the sidewalk with Naruto, both her arms wrapped around one of his. There feet made light tapping noises along the cement as said appendages carried them to their destination.

The sun was now out, though it was still fairly early in the morning. As Sol's rays radiated down on Terra and coruscated off the asphalt, a calm breeze blew through the streets, causing those few trees that lined the pavement to rustle and sway.

Those few people who were awake at this early hour of the morning were staring at the pair as they walked by. Koneko's enhanced hearing managed pick up the comments some of those people made. Not all of them were very pleasant. The derogatory remarks they made about Naruto's sexual preference pissed her off even more than the ones they made about her―she wasn't a little girl!―and those rude remarks about how Naruto was some kind of lolicon delinquent made her want to pound their face's in.

"Don't let their words bother you," Naruto's voice cut through her thoughts. She looked up at him to see his grinning face staring down at her. "They don't know anything about us, and none of these people are important. I don't give a crap what they say about me and you shouldn't either."

After a moment of thought, Koneko nodded. "Okay. I won't let them get to me," she said, then added, "I still want to punch them through a wall."

Naruto's grin widened until his eyes were forced closed and his "whisker" marks spread further across his face. In that moment he truly looked like a Kitsune, just as Akeno always teased him about. "So do I."

With her thoughts and desire for violence stymied, for the most part, Koneko turned her thoughts on how she ended up in this position.

After their small, touching moment within the clubroom, Naruto had asked her if she wanted to go with him to the market so he could buy breakfast for the others. It hadn't taken her long to agree, and that was how they ended up traveling down the road, heading back towards the clubroom with Naruto carrying several bags in one hand, filled with all kinds of breakfast foods.

She had enjoyed the time they spent together immensely, though a part of her was wondering why this was. Naruto was new to her. She did not know him all that well. Yet somehow, in the span of a single day, he had become very important to her.

It must be the head petting. It felt good.

REALLY good.

They soon entered the clubroom to see a frantic Rias demanding that they all spread out and begin to search for her and Naruto.

"Yuuto! I want you to lead the search! With your speed you should be... able... to... to... to?"

Rias trailed off as Koneko and Naruto stepped into the room. The others also noticed their arrival and turned to look at the pair.

Cue awkward silence.

"Uh..." Naruto attempted to break the awkward silence by lifting the steaming bags of food. "I brought breakfast?"

"Naruto!?" Rias looked like she was visibly restraining herself from pouncing on him. Koneko was impressed. It was a well known fact that all members of the Gremory household were very affectionate towards their servants. Rias was even more affectionate than others. That she had not jumped on him already was amazing.

"Good morning, Rias," Naruto said as he set the bags down on the table and began opening them to pull out the contents. Koneko decided to stand there with him rather than sit back down. It would be pointless to take a seat when she would just move onto Naruto's lap the moment he sat down anyways. "I'm sorry I didn't wake you, but you looked tired, so I thought I'd let you sleep in."

"Where have you been!?"

"Uh..." Naruto looked at her oddly. "Getting breakfast?"

"Why did you leave the clubroom?"

Naruto blinked. "Because I wanted to get breakfast for everyone?"

"You still shouldn't have left the clubroom," Rias argued. Her body shuddered once. She was definitely hanging on by a thread. "What if something happened? What if you ran into that priest? Or the Fallen Angels he was working with?"

"Then I would have kicked their asses," Naruto declared with such confidence that Koneko actually believed he could. "The only reason I got injured the last time was because I ended up letting that stuff spill all over me before I realized it was dangerous. Now I know better. It won't happen again."

"Still..." Rias looked uncertain.

"Ara, ara," Akeno butt into the conversation before it could devolve further. "It seems Buchou really is taken in with Kitsune-kun. Acting like a spouse worrying for her husband. Ufufufu..."

"That..." What was this? Was Rias actually blushing? What a rare occurrence.

Issei didn't seem to like where the conversation was heading, judging by his expression. Not that Koneko cared what that pervert thought.

"It's just because he's my servant. I would have been just as worried if you, Issei, Kiba, or Koneko went out when there were Fallen Angels and a rogue exorcist running around."

"If you say so," Akeno didn't mention that Koneko had been with Naruto, and Rias had not been nearly as worried about her being gone as she had Naruto.

Rias crossed her arms under her chest, which pushed them up quite a bit. Koneko looked at Rias' chest, then at her own chest. She frowned.

"I do say so."

"Speaking of exorcists," Naruto decided to steer the conversation in another direction as he set about piling food on one of the paper plates he had brought back. Everything from Onigiri to bread rolls and pancakes were put on the plate. He also grabbed two forks before moving to sit down. "You mentioned that the one we ran into was an exile."

As soon as Naruto sat down, he had to move the plate above his head so Koneko could crawl onto his lap. Setting the plate down on Koneko's lap he let the girl hold the plate with one hand while giving her one of the forks. The other hand slid around her waist to keep her in place and he used the hand that now possessed only one fork to begin cutting up the pancakes.

Koneko attacked the Onigiri, munching on one of the rice balls like it was one of her sweets.

Rias sighed as she saw the scene. She was too tired to feel irritated.

Issei was not. He glared daggers at Naruto as he took large chunks out of the bread roll in his hand.

"There are two kinds of exorcists," Rias explained. "Those who work under the Divine and those who have gone Rogue. They are considered heretics and are normally killed on sight when found by the Church. However, some manage to escape and come into contact with Fallen Angels. As both are considered enemies of the Church and God, they often team up and work together."

"They are very dangerous," she continued. "Sometimes even more so than a regular exorcist. It would be best if both you and Issei did your best to avoid running into them."

"Are all priests insane like that?" asked Issei, suddenly speaking up. "That exorcist didn't seem like he was all there. He really enjoyed killing Devils. He even found enjoyment in killing humans..." Issei went quiet for a moment as he stared at his free hand. "And that girl... Asia... I couldn't even protect her."

"Please forget about that girl, Issei," Rias snapped at him with surprising suddenness. He looked up at her in shock, causing the red-haired Devil to grimace. "Sorry, but you really shouldn't be spending time with her. That girl is on the side of our enemies, working for those who would like nothing better then to kill us. If you ended up getting involved with her it would cause a lot of problems. I don't even want to think about the amount of blood that may be spilled from an incident where you two got involved with each other."

Issei didn't say anything, but the look on his face made it clear he was not happy with Rias' words.

Breakfast was quiet after that.

~KatCHRP~

"Do you think I did the right thing?" Rias asked now that everyone aside from her and Naruto had vacated the premise. Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko had school to go to. Issei would have gone to school, but his injuries were still aggravating him so she had told him to take the day off. He had stomped out just a little while ago. No doubt the young man was still miffed about Rias' words against Asia.

Naruto also had the day off, but decided to spend it with Rias instead of going home. It wasn't like there was anything to do back home that he couldn't do here, and the company was infinitely more pleasant.

The only one among them who had been difficult to convince to leave had been Koneko. The girl seemed to truly love Naruto, or at least love getting pampered by him. It was hard to tell with her. Only Naruto's promise of more head petting when she came back convinced her to go to class that day.

"You mean with Issei and the nun?" asked Naruto as he sat on the same couch he always did, his left leg laying horizontally over his right knee as he stretched his arms against the back of the head rest. He looked pretty relaxed, but Rias was beginning to understand him a bit better and knew that even when he looked like he wasn't paying attention to anything happening around him, he was just as aware as everyone else.

Rias nodded.

"That's a very difficult question to answer," her spiky haired servant sighed as he leaned his head back against the headrest. Rias didn't say anything, even though she wanted to. She suspected, correctly, that he was simply trying to put his thoughts into words.

Eventually, his head came back up and he looked at her with his azure blue eyes.

"You didn't do anything wrong, per say," he started out, speaking slowly and carefully, as if he wanted to make sure his words were the correct ones. "As a leader, you must always do what is best for those under you. Not only that, but you are a noble among the Devil clans. Any actions taken by a member of your peerage can be ascribed as an action taken by you. If Issei went out and started killing Fallen Angels, they would assume you ordered him to and attack in mass. Which, of course, would lead to the other Devil Clans attacking in retaliation for the attack on you. The situation would quickly escalate and we would eventually have a full scale war on our hands."

Naruto marveled at how mature and wise he sounded. All those lessons he had with Baa-chan about what a Hokage had to do were finally starting to pay off in some way, which was good because he was really beginning to wonder why he needed to have all that useless crap shoved into his head (even if it was done via shadow clone). Now he was finally putting that knowledge to use and it felt good.

It was official; he, Uzumaki Naruto, was awesome.

Once more Rias marveled at how intelligent Naruto was. He sounded a lot like her brother. It was almost like he was speaking from experience.

"At the same time, you need to see things from Issei's perspective." Rias perked up. "Issei is a human who got involved with this world for no other reason than because he has a Sacred Gear. He doesn't give a crap about the conflict between Devils and Fallen Angels. Things like that just don't matter to him."

Naruto paused for a moment, then nodded to himself. That sounded pretty deep, just like something his sensei and godfather (Kami bless his pervy soul) would say.

"And because of that when he looks at Asia, he doesn't see a nun and enemy of Devil kind, but a friend. When two people meet a bond is formed between them. These bonds become nearly impossible to break, and doing so is often one of the most difficult if not downright impossible tasks to accomplish." He knew that from experience. Thank you Sasuke-teme. "Issei has already formed a strong bond with this girl."

"Is it stronger than the one he has with us?" asked a now worried Rias. She knew that if Issei did not have a strong bond with them it would be her fault. While she had not neglected him per se, she had focused more of her attention on Naruto because she wanted to unravel the mystery behind her blond servant.

"Without seeing how the two act around each other I can't say for sure," Naruto replied honestly. "However, it's clear to me that the two of them have a powerful bond while his bond with us is hanging by a thread, especially after your argument just a little while ago." Rias winced. "If it comes down to it he will side with her."

"What would you do if you were in my place?"

"I would never tell you how to lead your peerage," Naruto said, "I've never been a leader before." Though he had come close. Had the war just ended differently then maybe...but no, he couldn't think about what ifs. It would just lead him to look at all the mistakes he had made back then. He needed to look towards the future now, and Rias and the others were that future. "However, the way I see it, you have several options available to you."

"The first is to kill Asia and make it look like the Fallen Angels had decided to get rid of her. This will direct Issei's anger towards the Fallen Angels and will push him to train harder by turning him into an avenger."

"That's horrible," Rias felt bile rise in her throat. How could Naruto even suggest she do that?

"I know," Naruto gave her a grim smile. "Aside from being morally reprehensible it wouldn't really work in the long run anyway. There is just as much a chance of Issei finding out what you did and the situation backfiring on you. Aside from that, even if he did not find out you staged her death, you run the risk of him turning into a mindless killing machine hell bent on revenge. He would become an uncontrollable monster and would likely start the war you were trying to avert anyways."

"Then why would you even suggest this?"

"Because it's option I've seen used before," Naruto replied. "There are those in this world who would do anything it took to get their desired outcome. I knew someone who took this route and saw it's outcome. It wasn't pretty."

For just a second, Rias thought she could see a flicker of anguish within Naruto's eyes. It was gone almost as quickly as it came, but the sight of that pain left her stunned.

"The second option is to find some way to force Issei into obeying your orders," Naruto continued. "This isn't as bad as the first option, but still won't help you in the long run. By denying him the chance to save his friend, Issei will begin to resent you. He will likely become rebellious, questioning or sometimes outright refusing your orders, and when the time comes that you need him, he will remember that when he felt he needed you, you were not there for him."

Rias closed her eyes. That was certainly not an option she wanted to think about.

Opening them again, she looked back at Naruto. "And the last option?"

"I think you know what the last option is," Naruto gave her a knowing smile. "The last option has the highest risk, but if it succeeds, it'll likely yield the greatest results."

The smile on his face grew.

"I like to call it doing the right thing."

~KatCHRP~

"Please let me go save her!"

"Not a chance," Rias didn't even look up from where Issei's silhouetted form could be seen against the curtains backdrop as she spoke. She finished buttoning up her shirt, then got started on her skirt, pulling the cloth up her porcelain legs. "If you do this your actions will have a major effect on the relationship between Devils and Fallen Angels. Entering their territory without just cause would mean war." Once the skirt was buttoned up, she slid her socks on.

"But Asia is my friend!"

"Dammit, Issei!" Rias finally slid the curtains open, forgoing the shoulder cape and button down corset. She stalked towards the brown-haired boy, her eyes narrowed. The normally perverted second year took several steps backwards until he was pressed against the wall. "Don't you get it!? If I let you go to the Church to rescue that girl you. Will. Be. Killed! I don't want something like that to happen to you!"

"But Raynare said something about a ceremony today! It's possible that Asia will be killed, and that's something I can't allow to happen!"

Naruto leaned against the wall next to Koneko, his arms crossed as he watched the proceedings. The others were also in the room, all except Akeno, and all of them focused on what was happening between their club president and King, and the Pawn of their peerage.

"I don't care," Rias stated, "So long as you are a member of my peerage, I won't let you go."

"Then disown me!" Issei cried out. The young man looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. Even Koneko could not help but feel for the boy. "I'll save Asia on my own. I'm just a pawn anyways. It's not like you'll be losing much by letting go of your weakest piece."

Rias' eye sharpened. "Enough!" she snapped, causing Issei to actually go stiff at the dangerous tone in her voice.

Just then, Akeno burst into the room. She hurriedly walked over to Rias and leaned into her ear, whispering something that no one else could hear. Rias' face shifted for a moment before going back to a neutral expression as she nodded.

She turned back to look at the others. "Akeno, Naruto, and I have something important to do, so we'll be going out for a bit."

Naruto stood up from the wall and uncrossed his arms. Placing a hand on Koneko's head, he smiled as the girl looked up at him.

"Take care of your Senpai, okay? He might be a pervert, but he's a good kid."

"I know," Koneko nodded, "Don't worry, I'll watch over him."

"Right," Naruto rubbed her head, carefully running his fingers over her ears. The girl twitched and nearly began purring. "And take care of yourself as well. I would hate to see anything happen to you."

Koneko blushed. "Okay."

"B-Buchou!" Issei shouted in surprise. "Wait! I'm not done yet!"

"Before I leave I want you to know something," Rias interrupted. "You may think the pawn is the weakest piece in Chess, but that's a very big misconception. A pawn possesses a very special ability that no other piece has. Promotion. Much like in a real game of Chess, the pawns in the evil piece system possess the ability to be promoted to any piece other than a King once it enters enemy territory."

Issei scratched his head. He didn't get it.

Rias looked mildly exasperated.

"Issei, what I am saying is that the moment you step into enemy territory, you can be promoted and increase your power beyond that of a simple pawn. For instance, a Church to us would be a good example of enemy territory."

A little ways away, Kiba knocked a fist into an open palm as a look of realization spread across his face. Naruto was grinning fiercely.

"So wait," Issei's face scrunched up as he struggled to comprehend what he was being told. "Are you saying that if I were to enter enemy territory and be promoted, I could gain power similar to Akeno's ability as a Queen?"

"In theory," Rias told him, "but the Queen is the strongest piece. With the amount of strength you have right now, that kind of power may put a large strain on your body. It's possible that you won't be able to bear the weight of the promotion."

"So then, turning into a Knight will make me like Kiba... and a Rook would be like Koneko-chan..."

"Also possible," Rias said. She grabbed the corset and shoulder cape in Akeno's hand and began putting them on as Naruto walked over to them. "Also, I have one more thing I need to tell you." Issei looked over at her. "Your Sacred Gear is activated by your willpower. The stronger your will is the more powerfully it will react to your request."

"Willpower..."

"And the last thing you must remember," Rias stated with the utmost seriousness. "Even a Pawn can kill a King. This is the same basic principle found in Chess. With it you can become stronger."

Issei was now off in his own little world, studying the Chess set on the table. Rias turned to Kiba.

"Yuuto, I leave everything to you."

Kiba gave his King a small salute. "Of course!"

Rias nodded, then left with Naruto and Akeno in tow.

"That was some pretty good acting back there," Naruto told her when they had gotten far enough away that it was unlikely anyone would hear them. "I was impressed."

"Are you sure this plan is going to work?" asked Rias, not even looking at Naruto as they walked away from the Occult Research building. "I'm taking a big risk, even knowing that the Grigori are not involved in what's going on this in this town there is still a large danger present, especially with that Rogue Exorcist hanging around."

"Everything will work out fine," Naruto reassured her. "Have faith in your servants. Even Issei is not without his strength."

"But Issei's still not very strong," Rias bit her lip in worry. "He hasn't been able to increase much in strength since his reincarnation. What if..."

"Issei is currently fighting to protect something precious to him," Naruto interrupted with the kind of confidence someone showed when they knew what they were talking about. His voice carried the strength of conviction. "He is fighting for his friend, to rescue her, to protect her. And when the time comes that he needs the strength to do what's necessary, I have no doubt he will find it. It's only when we're protecting the things that are precious to us that we find out what true strength really is."

As they walked down out of the school Rias found herself in awe of Naruto's wisdom. It was so at odds with his personality, and yet, she couldn't help but think it suited him. Listening to him now, she almost believed that he had experienced something similar to Issei already.

And maybe he had. Rias still didn't know as much about Uzumaki Naruto as she wanted.

But that would change soon. After all this was over, she would step up her game to find out more about him. That was a promise.

~KatCHRP~

Naruto grinned as he looked around the clearing Akeno's magic circle teleported them too. It was in a forested area somewhere near the Church, or at least he assumed it was near the Church. It's not like he could see anything beyond the trees. They were pretty thick here. Even though they were nowhere near as large and majestic as the trees back in Konoha these ones were still very big; with trunks that were easily five people wide, standing at a height that towered over 30 feet, and branches that were thick with leaves. It made seeing past them impossible as the branches overlapped each other in a twisted network of patterns that only nature could produce.

"Well, look what we have here."

There was also a little girl here. Standing up on the branch of one of the trees before she jumped down was a girl with her blond hair styled in twin, short side ponytails and blue eyes. She was wearing a Gothic Lolita outfit, which seemed to consist of a black lolita dress with white frills, a large black bow on the front and a green jewel embedded into her collar. Covering much of her legs were thigh high, white socks and black shoes. She was also wearing a bow on top of her hair.

"Welcome to our humble little part of the forest," the blond girl curtsied. "My name is Mittelt, and I will―Kya!" The girl in the lolita dress stumbled back in shock, nearly tripping over her own two feet as a pair of bright blue eyes appeared mere inches from her own. "Wha...? How did you get over here so quickly!?"

Akeno and Rias both blinked, then looked to their left. When they saw the young man they had come here with not right next to them they looked back at the scene with the blond girl in shock. There was only one thought on their minds. 'So fast!'

"So kawaii..." Naruto mumbled out. Mittelt flushed a deep red and also take a hesitant step back. That look he was giving her was seriously freaking her out. What the hell was up with this guy?

Before she could so much as think of moving further away, the girl suddenly found herself being hoisted off her feet, earning a loud squeak from her. She was then presented to Akeno and Rias like some kind of prize won at a stall.

"Can we keep her?" asked Naruto, his large blue eyes staring at Rias as he gave the red head his variant of the Puppy Dog Eyes.

"Ara, ara," Akeno gave the blond an amused smile as she placed her hands on her cheeks. "It seems Kitsune-kun really does like cute things. I guess that's why he likes Koneko-chan so much. I wonder what Koneko-chan will say when she sees she's been replaced..."

Rias' eyebrow twitched. "Naruto, you cannot keep the Fallen Angel."

"But―"

"Put the Fallen Angel down, Naruto."

"Aw," Naruto sniffed, "You're no fun, Rias." The red head just gave him a glare, causing him to sniffle a bit more before putting the girl down.

This act seemed to snap the blond-haired Fallen Angel, Mittelt, out of her stupor. She jumped back, putting several meters of distance between her and the trio of Devils and glared at Naruto, though the effect was ruined by her large blush. It didn't help that she looked like a cute little girl instead of a dangerous fallen angel.

"You're going to pay for that!"

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at the girl as she stomped on the ground. It really just made her look even more like a child. "You don't really think you're enough to beat all three of us, do you?"

"She might not be able to on her own," a voice sounded out behind them. "But that's fine because she's not alone here."

Floating in the air with their angel wings already out were two people. The first one Naruto noticed was another woman, this one buxom female with long, navy blue hair that obscured her right eye and brown eyes. Her clothing was about what he would usually expect a Fallen Angel to wear, given all he'd been told about them; a violet, trenchoat like top with a wide collar, a matching miniskirt and black heeled shoes. The trenchcoat was open at her chest, giving an ample view of her cleavage. The only other item of interest was the necklace that hung around her neck.

The other Fallen Angel that had shown up was one Naruto was already familiar with.

"Ah! It's the Donut guy!"

"I'm not the Donut guy, brat!" The Fallen Angel growled. "It's Dohnaseek! Dohnaseek! Get it right, dammit!"

"Sorry," Naruto scratched his cheek sheepishly. "But that's way too long for me. I think I'll just call you Donut Guy!"

"Grrr!"

"He's trying to make you angry, Dohnaseek," the woman chided. "Don't let him rile you up."

"Hmph! It's not like I actually care what a brat like him says."

"Oi! Don't call me a brat you damned Donut man!"

"It's not Donut man either! Idiot!"

"Who do you think you're calling an idiot!? Idiot!"

By this point everyone else in the clearing was sweatdropping as Naruto and Dohnaseek began butting heads with each other. No, really. They were butting their heads against each other, their teeth grit as they tried to overpower the other. The only thing they didn't have was sparks of rivalry flying from their eyes.

"Akeno," Rias sighed as she tried to stave off the coming headache. She was beginning to regret having Naruto come with her for this. "If you would?"

"Ara, ara," Akeno smiled widely. "Of course, Buchou."

Dark storm clouds began gathering in the sky, causing the two arguing males to stop arguing and look up with everyone else. There was a rumble of thunder, then lightning lit up the sky and descended upon Akeno, lighting her up like a Christmas tree.

Rather than get hurt, however, all it seemed to do was change her clothes.

Of course, that makes it sound a lot less exciting than it actually was. It didn't just change her clothes. First, all of her clothing seemed to dissolve, leaving her completely bare. Then, thick ribbons of energy gathered around her body. Her breasts became bound in a white kimono shirt with long, voluminous sleeves appearing on her arms, and her hips and legs were hidden by red hakama pants. Instead of looking like a school girl, she now looked like a Miko Priestess.

Issei would be disappointed when he realized he missed out on this sexy transformation. Naruto was going to make it a point to rub that in his face when this was all over.

"What is this!?" Mittelt pointed at the now Miko'd out Akeno. "Some kind of cosplay!?"

"You're one to talk," Naruto shot back with a snicker.

"Grr! What's that supposed to mean!?"

"I think he means your maid outfit, Mittelt," the bustier Fallen Angel informed her blond comrade.

Mittelt blushed.

Despite finding the proceedings between Naruto and the Fallen Angels amusing, Akeno went through two hands signs. Naruto was surprised when he recognized them. She then raised her hands above her head and he felt a brief surge of her power.

Seconds later, dozens of red magic circles appeared in the sky, surrounding all six of them. They were trapped.

"So this was your plan all along, huh?" Dohnaseek scoffed. "You wanted to trap us inside of here where you could finish us off?"

"That's the plan," Rias smiled. "I'm going to make you all disappear."

"Ha! As if you, the Miko, or that brat could... eh? Where'd the brat go?"

Rias and everyone else looked around when they realized that Naruto had somehow vanished while everyone was focused on Akeno's magic show.

They didn't have to wait long to find out where he was. Not even a second later, he made an entrance that no one would be forgetting any time soon.

"BANZAI!"

Before the woman with blue hair had a chance to turn around, she felt an inexplicable and excruciating pain on the back of her head as a pair of shoes heel slammed into her with the force of a freight train. The woman shot towards the earth like a rocket, Naruto flying right behind her, and face planted into the ground hard enough that rock and gravel exploded outwards from the center of impact.

A few seconds later the dust settled down to show Naruto standing on the back of the woman's head. Said woman's body was sprawled out like a rag doll that had just been thrown to the ground. Her left leg twitched once, twice, then, no more. She was quite clearly out cold.

"Whooo!" Naruto cheered, pumping a fist into the air as a huge grin emerged on his face. "That was awesome!"

"He just took out Kalawarner in a single blow," Mittelt gaped at the blond.

She would have been better of keeping her mouth shut, as she had now drawn Naruto's attention.

Quicker than the blond girl could ever hope to follow him, Naruto raised his hands and began manipulating his fingers. Several steel wires glinted in the moonlight as they were suddenly strung taught.

Mittelt, who was in the middle of all these wires, quickly found her eyes widening as she was tied up with no room for escape. With an indignant squawk, she ended up falling to the ground.

Naruto ignored the girl who was yelling and screaming and wiggling around like some kind of earth worm. It wasn't like she could do anything to him when she was all tied up like that.

He quickly hopped backwards to avoid the light spear that had been thrown at him. The weapon buried itself in the ground he had just vacated, fizzling before it crackled out of existence.

Looking up, he grinned when he saw Dohnaseek bearing down on him.

With a flick of his wrists, a pair of kunai dropped into his hands. Naruto quickly began channeling minute amounts of wind chakra through the blades. A green glow soon surrounded the kunai, like ethereal fire the "flames" of chakra licked at the edges of the blade and cast shadows on Naruto's face as he lifted the kunai up.

Dohnaseek struck at the whisker-faced former ninja as soon as he was within striking distance. His light spear thrust towards Naruto's chest. It was a move that was bound to miss as Naruto brought his left kunai to bear. Striking the underside of the light spear with his own all-purpose utility weapon, Naruto caused the spear to move up high over his shoulder, missing him completely.

In retaliation for the attempt on his life, the blond shinobi quickly struck out with his right kunai. Dohnaseek threw himself backwards. He was quick enough to avoid getting his head taken off, but not quick enough to escape unscathed.

Now standing several feet away from Naruto, the Fallen Angel with the fedora wiped at the wetness on his right cheek. He grinned when he saw it was blood. "It seems I've finally found someone who may be able to actually give me a fight."

"Oh, I'll give you more than that Donut Guy!" Dohnaseek's eyes twitched. "I'm gonna kick your ass from here to the moon!"

"Ha! I'd like to see you try!" Dohnaseek roared, launching himself at the blond with every intention of running the boy through. His light spear crackled with repressed energy, seemingly just as eager as its creator to inflict harm upon the blond teen with whisker marks on his cheeks. With a sick grin on his face that showed how much he was enjoying himself, Dohnaseek closed in, his form a blur.

This desire to see pain inflicted upon his opponent was not to be either, it seemed. Just as he got close Naruto disappeared. His form flickered briefly and then it was gone.

Dohnaseek skidded to a stop, blinking several times as confusion set in. He looked left, then right, then up. Nowhere. The blond brat was nowhere to be found. Just where did he go?

"Never let your opponent get behind you."

Dohnaseek's eyes widened. He turned his head just in time to see the blond crouched behind him, his hands in the shape of a hand seal.

Naruto grinned.

"I've been wanting to do this for some time now! Thanks for giving me this chance! Konohagakure Hidden Technique: One Thousand Years of Pain!"

With a roar that shook the heavens Naruto shoved his chakra enhanced fingers directly into Dohnaseek's ass.

You know those moments in all anime/manga/fanfiction where time seems to stand still and everyone sweatdrops because something incredibly stupid just happened? This was one of those moments.

Several seconds soon passed, the moment of sweatdropping ended, and Dohnaseek was unceremoniously launched into the air like a cannonball from the glorified ass poke. With his hands on his rump the man unleashed a loud, girlish scream of anguish and humiliation. Said scream got softer and softer as the man disappeared into the atmosphere, and soon, it vanished entirely along with the Fallen Angel himself.

"Bye, bye, Donut Guy!" Naruto waved as the man became nothing more than a pinprick before vanishing into the night sky. Behind him, Akeno and Rias both looked on. matching beads of sweat trickling down the side of their face's.

"Akeno."

"Yes, Buchou?"

"Did that really just happen?"

"If by that, you mean 'Kitsune-kun beating three Fallen Angels like they were newborn humans in the most humiliating way possible without killing them and not getting a single scratch in return' then yes, that did just happen."

"I thought so."

~KatCHRP~

Naruto found himself smiling as he walked home later that night. Today had been a good day, he decided. He spent time with his precious people, managed to learn a few things about Rias, and he got to kick ass all in the same day. Really, what more could he possibly ask for?

Well...an all you can eat ramen buffet would be nice, but you can't have everything.

Tragic.

Issei had also really surprised him today. Well, not really, but it was certainly good to be proven right. When the time came that he needed to fight for someone he deemed precious, the pervert had managed to find the strength to defeat a Fallen Angel. He still had a long way to go before he would actually be able to put up a fight against some of the stronger opponents that were no doubt out there, but Naruto had a good feeling that the kid would be fine.

Provided he had the proper motivation, of course.

As he was nearing his home, Naruto finally stopped walking and sighed. "I know you're there. You're not very good at hiding. Why don't you come on out."

"Hehe, so you were able to detect me," Dohnaseek stepped out from behind a flag pole. There was a disturbing grin on his face, one that most psychopaths have when they're about to do something, well, psychotic. "I would say I'm impressed, but it wasn't like I was actually trying to mask my presence from you."

"Where are the other two?"

"Don't know," the man shrugged. "Who cares about them anyways? They were weak. They probably went back to the Grigori to beg for forgiveness."

"I see," Naruto paused, "Why didn't you follow them?"

"Che, why would I want to go back there?" the man scoffed, sounding disgusted at the thought of rejoining the Fallen Angel faction. "Everyone there is so weak. Constantly trying to maintain this fragile peace we now have. I've gotten sick of it! I want battle! I crave combat! I need to fight and kill so that I can finally enjoy this life I have!"

"So you're one of those people, huh?" Naruto closed his eyes, his face set in a grimace. "The kind of person who kills simply because he can, who takes pleasure from causing others pain."

"That's right!" Dohnaseek crowed. "I crave bloodshed and death! I need it! To fight strong opponents and watch as their life bleeds out of them! Ever since this damn stale mate I've been without it for so long I thought I might go mad!"

Naruto said nothing, though the frown on his face intensified.

"You... you are strong. You managed to beat myself, Mittelt and Kalawarner without getting a scratch. Granted, those other two are weaklings and I had underestimated you." Light flared into existence within Dohnaseek's hand, coalescing into a physical form and hardening. He pointed the newly crafted light spear at Naruto, whose back was still turned. "I won't make the same mistake again."

"I don't suppose I could just convince you to leave?"

"What do you think?"

"I see," Naruto sighed. "You say you won't make the same mistake again, but by standing there, jabbering away like some kind of idiot, you already have."

"Huh? What the hell are you―urk!"

As pain erupted in his back and chest, Dohnaseek looked down to see a hand piercing it. The hand was sticking right out of the center of his chest, the solar plexus to be exact. It was covered in blood that glowed a bright green due to the strange energy surrounding the appendage.

He blinked several times, his mind not quite registering, or perhaps simply unable to comprehend, what had just happened.

"What...what..."

Somehow managing to find some strength to move, the man looked up to where he had last seen Naruto...only for the blond-haired, blue-eyed boy standing there to disappear in a cloud of smoke. The wind quickly worked to blow away the smoke seconds later, revealing the whisker-marked teen to be gone. The only thing left in the space he had been was a Log.

"How...?" Dohnaseek was unable to get anything else as the hand was yanked from his back. Copious amounts of blood began pouring out of the wound as the hand that had been acting as a plug was removed. His legs weakening as the life giving liquid spilled from his body; the Fallen Angel soon collapsed onto his hands and knees, his breathing heavy as blood began running out of his mouth as well.

Several seconds later, the man collapsed completely, his form going still and the light in his eyes dimming.

Naruto stood over his now dead foe, a grimace of remorse on his face. "Fool," he whispered. "You should have just left when I gave you the chance."

He looked down at his hand, sighing as he used a burst of wind chakra to make all the blood shoot off and splatter across the concrete.

"You can come out as well, Rias," Naruto called out in a tired voice, "I know you're there."

Looking chastised at being caught, Rias walked out from around the corner she had been hiding behind. She stood there awkwardly, not quite meeting his gaze as he looked over at her. Eventually, Naruto just sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Is there something you needed me for?"

"No," Rias shook her head. "I just wanted to know why...?"

"Why I didn't just kill those Fallen Angels when I had the chance?" Naruto finished, then gestured with his head towards the corpse of the Fallen Angel he had just slain. "You want to know why I didn't kill him the first time we fought?"

Rias nodded reluctantly. "Yes."

"What purpose would killing them serve?" asked Naruto, closing his eyes tiredly. "None. There is no purpose in killing them. The only thing it would have done is spread the cycle of hatred even more. I'm betting that somewhere, those Fallen Angels have friends, maybe even family. If I killed them here those people who loved them would have found out and hated me for it. Then they would have come to kill me, which would make you hate them in turn and retaliate. Eventually, Devils and Fallen Angels would become embroiled in hatred as each sought justice and revenge against the other in a never ending and pointless conflict."

Rias said nothing, but she didn't need to. The look on her face said it all.

"Dying like trash. Never ending hatred. A pain that never heals. That is war." Naruto stared at his hand, clenching and unclenching it with an almost absentmindedness. "I truly hate war, and I will not be party to acts that might instigate it. That is why I refuse to kill unless no other option is available to me." He chuckled in mock derision. "I suppose you could say I'm a pacifist with a penchant for ass kicking."

He looked back over at Rias to see her staring at him. "Does that answer your question?"

"Ah, yes, yes it does," Rias smiled at him, though it was one filled with confusion and concern. "Good night, Naruto."

"Good night, Rias."

As Rias vanished within a magic circle, Naruto continued his stroll back home. He wanted to get some sleep. The fight with Dohnaseek had ruined his good mood.